We understand sustainability applied to the design and realisation of architecture as the effective management of tangible and intangible resources. Guided by this concept, we have developed a piece of research on the production and use of the built environment.
This research aims to explore the environmental impact of the construction process, through the collection, management and representation of information. The aims of this study are to explore who contributed to each project, what they do, where they came from, when they were on site, and most importantly how far they had to travel. To carry out this work we have analysed some buildings developed within the professional practice MEDIOMUNDO arquitectos: Library in Cañada Rosales (Sevilla), Theatre in Vejer (Cádiz), Dwellings in Conil (Cádiz), Cyber centre in Macarena Tres Huertas (Sevilla), and the Faculty of Health Sciences in Granada (Granada).
Motivated by our concern to humanize the “production process” and a desire to recover “local knowledge”, we have developed a methodology that enables us to visualize the involvement of local actors and the knowledge acquired during the process of construction. Therefore, we have developed strategies to optimize resources and reduce energy consumption in the transport of goods and materials. As well as incorporating project stakeholders (through participation and consultation) throughout the construction process, this methodology incorporates local knowledge and global techniques that affect the use, ownership and maintenance of each building.
The results obtained help to clarify the implications, during the construction process, of the actors involved, the materials used and their origin. Therefore, we present this research as a useful tool that can aid our decision making as architects by facilitating the better comprehension of these factors, and by encouraging greater consideration of the resources within the vicinity of the project site
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